Teeeitoey



ilNiTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD J. HOFFMAN, OF VERMILLION, DAKOTA TERRITORY.

LIFE-PROTECTOR FOR RAILROAD-RAILS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 228,353, dated June 1,1880,

Application filed March 17, 1880.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD J. HOFFMAN, a citizen of the United States.residing at Vermillion, in the county of Clay and Territory of Dakota,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Life-Protectors forRailroad-Rails; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to lettersor figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of thisspecification.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a top-plan view of two railroad-rails,showing the elastic cushion in position between the same. Fig. 2 is anunder-side plan view of the cushion in broken section, and Fig. 3 across-section of the same.

The present invention has relation to a device adapted to be placedbetween the mainline rail and guard-rail of a road to prevent personsfrom becoming caught in the frogs and guard-rails while switching orcoupling cars.

The invention consists of a cushion composed of rubber or other elasticmaterial, to be inserted between the closely-adjacent rails of arailway, as will be hereinafter described.

In the accompanying drawings, A represents the main rails of a track,and B the guard-rail, both of which are of the usual form andconstruction.

My invention, which consists of the cushion (No model.)

C, is placed between these two adjacent rails, as illustrated in Fig. 1,said cushion being composed of elastic material, such as rubber, of thedesired length to fill the space between the rails. The cushion O isflaring at its ends, to fit the increased width of the space between therails caused by the curve of the guardrails at their outer ends, thecushion being held in place by the elasticity of the material from whichit is composed and the flanges of the rails.

To give the cushion a sufficient amount or degree of elasticity it isrecessed upon its under side, as shown at a, so that when the carwheelspass over it will yield to the extent required, but will be sufficientlyrigid to bear up a person when stepping upon it.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desireto secure by Letters Patent, is'

1. In combination with the closely-adjacent rails of a railway-track, anelastic cushion adapted to fill the space between the same,substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination, with the closely-adjacent rails of a railway-track,of an elastic cushion flaring at its ends, substantially as and for thepurpose specified.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EDWARD J. HOFFMAN.

Witnesses:

W. O. MCNAMARA,

OHAs. B. BIRD.

